The Secret’s in the Brine!

Getting a great barbequed or smoked turkey is something we all start thinking about right around the Holiday Season. One of the secrets I’ve been taught and have used that has made my guests ask time and time again “how did you get the turkey so moist” is the added step of brining the turkey.

When you hear the word brine, a lot of people think automatically of salt. Salt is used in the brining process and adding to much will give your turkey a salty taste. What I’m talking about is adding moisture and flavor to the brine that will make for an incredible eating experience. I guarantee the Bossman is not leading you astray with his technique. In fact I know from past experience, and having passed this technique on to many family and friends that once you have tried this you will be running back out to the stores looking for the left over $5 whole turkey specials to brine and cook up another.

In order to have a smokin’ good turkey you need to understand the success is the direct results of a couple of key techniques. First, the turkey is brined. This process is simply, allowing your turkey to soak in a solution for as little as 8 hrs and as much as 12 hrs prior to smoking or grilling. During this soak the turkey muscles and tissue absorbs the brine, which in turn seasons and adds extra moisture and flavor to the turkey.

You will need to cook your turkey in stages so that the faster cooking, faster drying out breast meat will be protected, and at the same time the slower cooking thighs and legs are heated to the right temperature to complete the cooking process.

In the process of perfecting this technique, I feel it is of the utmost importance to use a good probe thermometer so the cooking process is stopped at the right internal temperature in order to maintain the maximum moisture and juiciness of the finished turkey. I recommend and use a Thermopen digital thermometer.
Brining Process
The following is the brine I use for our holiday turkey(s). If you have other ingredients you and your family enjoy, and you feel will complement the turkey, include it in the brine. Just remember to avoid herbs and ingredients that will overpower the rest of the ingredients you include in the brine.

Understand that when you brine your turkey you will need to have a container and lid that will be big enough to hold not only the turkey, but also allow the turkey to be fully immersed in the brine.What I have used with much success is my turkey fryer pot. I use this because it has a lid that easily covers the turkey and brine. Other suggestions I have would be to obtain a 5 gallon bucket similar to what you can get at your local grocery store deli or even your local hardware store. (Pickle bucket etc.) Editor’s Note: If you use a metal container to brine your bird, make sure it is non-reactive.

A call to the local deli will usually get you as many used food buckets you can handle. Most of the time theses buckets would have been thrown out. Just remember to clean the buckets good and to avoid using any container with a lingering odor or smell that could be absorbed by the turkey during the brining session.

This time of year, if I have no room in the refrigerator, living in Colorado the garage is cold enough to not only hold the turkey chilled, but also avoid dangerous temperatures that could ruin or spoil the turkey. With this in mind I still recommend checking the temperature of the brine and turkey if using the garage as a holding area and maintain the recommended 40 degree temperature range for safe food handling. The best solution for this however is to refrigerate the turkey in the brine.

Here is my recommended brine recipe:

Brine

2 Cups kosher salt or 1 Cup Table salt (I prefer Kosher Salt) 

2 Cups Granulated sugar

¼ Cup Granulated Garlic

¼ Cup Onion powder

2 Cups Brown Sugar

2 Cinnamon sticks (optional)

1 Bottle Maple Syrup ( I use a 32oz bottle shipped from New Hampshire)

2 Gallons cold water

1 Turkey fresh or thawed, not self-basting, giblets and tail removed, and rinsed thoroughly.Mix the above ingredients together and then place the turkey into the brine, cover and let stand until your ready grill or smoke.Turkey MopIf you’re looking for the secret to a beautifully colored turkey, I recommend using this turkey mop recipe that has a proven track record in my grilling and smoking of turkeys. I promise you will have your guests asking how you got the turkey to look so good. I recommend mopping the turkey once every 20-30 minutes during the cooking process, and yes use real butter anything else will not only change the taste, but the results just aren’t the same.

1 Stick of butter (I use “Land of Lakes”)

½ cup corn syrup

Black pepper, salt and/or other desired seasoningsMop turkey every 20-30 minutes during the smoking or grilling session.Final recommendations;

Allow 4-10 hours to thaw a frozen turkey, more if it’s a Tom (18-24 pounds) a nearly thawed bird can finish thawing in the brine.

Allow 8-12 hours for brining of your turkey.

If a really crisp skin is desired, remove the turkey from the brine, pat dry and allow 4-12 hours to dry uncovered under refrigeration.

Allow 6-12 hours cook time to smoke or grill your turkey, depending on your type smoker or grill.

Recommended woods if smoking turkey are: Hickory, Oak, Sugar Maple or Apple. The Bossman’s favorite mix is a 50/50 of Oak and Sugar Maple.That’s it! Your turkey is ready to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees. While smoking the turkey the breast meat may start to split or gets very dark, you can protect it by covering this area with foil. When the turkey is done, remove from smoker/grill and onto a platter and cover loosely with foil. Let the turkey rest 20 minutes before carving.I hope this gives you a basic understanding of brining and the desire to try something new this holiday season. In either case I wish you luck in your smoking and grilling efforts, and remember eating bad barbeque is criminal!
Chuck Marting (aka. The Bossman)

Posted by Chuck November 2006

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